The Humble Polymer Clay Ornament

I think there are two types of ornaments. The stunners that look beautiful on a hanger, and the workhorses that look beautiful on a tree. Today’s ornament is a definite workhorse.

When I was contemplating a snow themed tree, I knew that a lot of the ornaments were going to be roughly the same shape. I had these set in rhinestones lying around, and I knew I wanted an ornament that would use them as well as provide a little contrast to all the round ball shapes and snowflakes I already had working.

Here’s how easy it is:

Roll out a piece of polymer clay to roughly 1/8″ thick. I have a pasta machine for this purpose, so I rolled it out at its thickest setting. You can easily do this with a brayer or a rolling pin covered in plastic wrap. Cut rectangles measuring 3 1/2″ x 1″ or just about any size you want. Knowing me, I probably picked this size because that was how the clay came out of the roller and I was ready to be done fussing with it.

Brush a little pigment powder on the sides. I have this stuff I got in the stamping aisle, but if you don’t want to buy something special just for this you could add a little color with paint or ink or even gold leaf after the baking is done.

Since the rhinestones I wanted to use were in a setting, I needed to make a spot for them to sit, so I pressed them into the clay to make a little space for it. If you use regular rhinestones you can skip this step, but you’ll still want to poke a hole through the top for a hanger to go through.

Bake according to the directions on the package, and when the ornament is cool add any additional color you want and glue the rhinestones in their spot. I used fishing line again as a hanger so I could have that same falling effect.

When I first made these, I was not in love with them at all. They’re nothing special to look at out of context. But on the tree is what makes all the difference. Some of the most beautiful ornaments just don’t have the same effect on the tree. My collection of swarovski crystal snowflakes are some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, but on the tree you can barely even see them. It’s like the difference between a dress that looks beautiful on the rack and the dress that makes you look beautiful. These little clay ornaments might seem fairly plain jane, but they’re exactly what your tree is missing. Just watch, look at any of the photos I’ve been posting of this snowfall tree, and keep an eye out for these. They make a big impact. Hang them near the back of the branch to add a little depth and you’ll be amazed at the difference a humble little ornament like this can make.

I made more ornaments to make this tutorial, so why don’t we keep the giveaway fun going? Leave a comment for a chance to win a set of six of these little buddies. I’ll pick a winner randomly at 10pm Saturday December 13th.